--- title: "Tech Request Portal: What to Log Where" slug: tech-request-portal-guide section: Governance & Operations status: stable description: "The Alliance Strategies Tech Request Portal ([itrequests.allianceabroad.com](https://itrequests.allianceabroad.com)) is where staff log bugs, improvement requests, new feature ideas and platform operations requests for the Technology Dep…" last-updated: 2026-10-07 --- # Tech Request Portal: What to Log Where ## Overview The Alliance Strategies Tech Request Portal ([itrequests.allianceabroad.com](https://itrequests.allianceabroad.com)) is where staff log bugs, improvement requests, new feature ideas and platform operations requests for the Technology Department. Sign in with your `@allianceabroad.com` or `@wildpacks.com` Google or Microsoft account. [1] The form has four categories. The category you pick decides where the request goes and who sees it, so choosing the right one gets it to the right person without a re-sort. This page explains how to choose. For how the portal is built and deployed, see [Tech Request Portal](/docs/tech-request-portal). [2] The portal does not take hardware, email or Microsoft 365 problems (your device, Outlook, printers). Contact the IT helpdesk directly for those. ## Quick Decision Guide Ask these questions in order and stop at the first yes. 1. Is something we built broken or giving wrong results? Log a **Bug**. 2. Do you need someone to run an action on the platform, such as a deployment, a login reset or a new user? Log **DevOps**. 3. Does something work today but could be faster, cheaper or easier? Log an **Improvement**. 4. Is it something that does not exist yet? Log an **Idea**. ## Category Reference | Category | Use it when | Examples | Where it goes | |---|---|---|---| | Bug | An existing system is broken or behaves wrongly | A form will not save. A report shows the wrong number. | Asana tech board, assigned to Tech | | Improvement | A working system could do its job better, with a time or money saving | A manual weekly export that could be automated. A form with too many steps. | Asana tech board | | Idea | A new feature, tool or integration | A new dashboard. A new integration between two tools. | Asana tech board | | DevOps | You need an operational action on the platform or access, not a code change | QA deployment, password reset, new staff user | Separate DevOps Asana board | ### Bug Use Bug when behaviour that used to work, or should work, is wrong. The form asks for steps to reproduce, the expected result and the actual result, so include the page or screen, what you clicked, and what you saw. Include a screenshot where you can. [3] ### Improvement Use Improvement when nothing is broken but the work could be done better. State what it costs today (time, money or errors) and what would improve. The form asks for an Executive Sponsor and the System or Project the request affects. [3] ### Idea Use Idea for something new that no current system does. It is filed the same way as an Improvement, with an Executive Sponsor and a System or Project. Describe the problem you want solved before the solution you have in mind. [3] ### DevOps Use DevOps when the ask is an action, not a change to the code. Pick one of four subtypes. [4] | Subtype | Use it for | |---|---| | Deployment Request | Deploying one service: a feature branch to a development slot, a release branch to a QA slot, or a release to production | | Password Reset / Login Issue | You or a user cannot sign in to a platform tool | | New User / Staff Provisioning | Access for a new or changing staff member | | General Request | Any other operational ask that is not a code change | A Deployment Request also starts the deployment automatically. You pick the environment, then one service (the same four in every environment), then the branch. QA and production requests are blocked while a freeze window is active, and a QA request while another QA deployment is already running; the portal tells you when that is the case. [5] ## Edge Cases | Situation | Log it as | |---|---| | A user is locked out of a platform tool | DevOps, Password Reset / Login Issue | | A feature is missing that you expected to exist | Idea, unless it is in the written requirements, then Bug | | It works but is slow | Improvement, unless it times out or fails, then Bug | | You are unsure between Bug and Improvement | Bug. It will be re-sorted if needed | | One issue with both a defect and a request for access | Two requests, one Bug and one DevOps | | Your own device, email or Microsoft 365 has a problem | Not logged here. Contact the IT helpdesk directly | ## What Happens After You Submit - Bug, Improvement and Idea requests become a task on the Technology Asana board, and you receive a confirmation email. [3] - DevOps requests become a task on the separate DevOps board. [4] ## Sources [1]: https://github.com/Alliance-Strategies/itrequestportal/blob/main/server/auth.ts "itrequestportal Google/Microsoft OAuth, domain-locked sign-in" [2]: /docs/tech-request-portal "Tech Request Portal" [3]: https://github.com/Alliance-Strategies/itrequestportal/blob/main/server/routes.ts "itrequestportal route handlers and Asana task creation" [4]: https://github.com/Alliance-Strategies/itrequestportal/blob/main/shared/schema.ts "itrequestportal shared schema (categories, DevOps subtypes)" [5]: https://github.com/Alliance-Strategies/itrequestportal/blob/main/server/deployAgent.ts "itrequestportal QA deployment trigger"